Insect electrocutor



-Oct. 8, 1929. w. M. FRO'ST INSECT ELECTROCUTOR Filed March 23, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet Patented- Oct. 8, 1929 UNITED. STATES :PATENT OFFICE;

WILLIAM M. .FROS'I, F SPOKANE, WASHINGTON msno'r ELECTROCUTOR Application filed. March 23,

The present invention relates to insect electrocutors.

The principal object of my invention is to provide an insect electrocutor of the screen type, and so designed that each electrode may be formed from a single piece of metal or, if

the electrodes are to be of relatively large area, they would be so designed that a number of electrode units can be assembled to form the completed electrode Another object of my invention is to provide an insect electrocutor of such construction that its electrodes can be produced from sheet metal by metal-stamping machinery of any well-known type. t

Another object of the invention is to provide an insect electrocuting screen which can be very readily assembled and which may therefore be easily and economically manufactured. r

Aistill further object of the invention is to so form the electrodes that they will serve as a screen from the rays of the sun, when used as a window or door screen.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following spec ification and the drawings, in which like numerals referto like parts, throughout the views. Fig. 1 of the drawing shows an assembled screen, constructed in accordance with my invention, the lower edge of'the screen being brokenaway.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional View on the line 2-2 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View on the line 8-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detail view, in. perspective, of one edge of one of the electrodes.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view showing a modified form of frame in which the electrodes may be mounted. v 7

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectionalview similar to Fig. 3, showing a modified form of electrode 4 vane.

Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional View show- .ing a means of reinforcing the center of a relatively large screen. fFig, 8 is a detail view, in horizontal section, showing a method of assembling elec- 1927. Serial No. 177,610.

trode units to form a relatively large screen;

Fig. 9 is a horizontal sectional view show ing a modification of my invention, showing j I the electrodes formed of wire. V

Fig. 10 shows an electrode of my design as applied to an insect eleetrocuting; trap,an'd Fig. 11 is a-detail horizontal sectional view of one corner of'the Fig. 10 device showing the method of fastening the electrodes together.

Referring to the form of my invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, the numoral 1 indicates a frame having an inwardly extending flange 9. Electrodes 2 and 3 of opposite polarity are mounted in the frame, 05

these electrodes comprising side edgeportions 4. and 5 and top and bottom edges'6. Vanes 7 extend between the side edge por tions 4 and 5 and are formed by being pressed or stamped out of the plane of the edge pormtions, the ribs or vanes 7 being connected at each end to the edges 5 and 6, respectively,

by means of connecting portions 8 (Fig. 4).

It will be understood that the entire electrodes can be formed from a single sheet of metal, suitable cutting dies being used to out .the vanes 7 and strips 8-in the proper outline and stamping dies of proper configuration then being employed to force the vanes 7 to their proper position relative to the edges of so the electrode.

After the electrodes have been formed in the manner described above, they are assembled as shown in Fig. 1, the electrode 2 being positioned on one side of the flange 9 of frame 1 and electrode 3- being positioned on the opposite side. Supporting clips 10 of insulating material are spaced about the frame 1, as shown, and have a central groove ll in one face to fit over the flange 9 of frame 1, while 00- two grooves 12 are provided in its opposite face, one near each edge. One of the grooves Q 1-2 receives the edge of the electrode 2 and the edge of the electrode 3 is fitted in the other groove 12. It will be seen (Fig.2) that the two electrodes are thus supported in the frame 1 and are insulated from the frame and from each other.

The ribs or vanes 7 of each frame are so spaced and bent in the stamping process that all of the ribs or vanes will be bent inwardly and toward each other (see Fig. 3), the vanes of electrode 2 will be staggered with respect of each electrode and current supplied to the electrodes at the binding posts 13 on each elec- 33 trode will thus pass through the insect and electrocute it.

The vanes 7, as shown in Fig. 3, are arcuate and are bent to face'in the same direction, at

an angle to the vertical plane of the screen. a

They will thus serve to screen the suns rays and this formjs therefore particularly useful as a window screen.

The modification shownin Fig. 5; is exactly similar to the form described above, exceptthat a supporting member 14 of insulating material is shown at one edge of the electrodes. This supporting member 14 is provided with two grooves 15, one to receive an edge of each of the electrodes 2 and 3, thus dispensing with the frame 1 and clips 10of the Figs. 1-4 form. The opposite edges of the electrodes 2 and 3 of the Fig. 5 form are shown supported in a strip or clip 16 which is generally similar to the clip 10 of Fig. 1 but provided with tortuous grooves 17 therein to receive the edges of the electrodes. The edges of the electrodes would be grooved as at 18 so that'they would be securely held in the clips or strips 16. I

The clips or strips 16.and the member 14 might be used on either side of a pair of electrodes or either device might be used alone, on both edges of the electrodes, to support the same.

The ribs or vanes 19 of Fig. 6 are a modification of the form shown in Fig. 3, being bent to lie at right angles to the vertical plane of the screen and corrugated, to render them more rigid. -L

Fig.7 shows a modification of my device in which the electrodes 20 and21 are supported in separate frames, 22 and 23, instead oi in oneframe, asshown in Figs. 1 to 4. This view also shows a method of strengthening the electrodes when they are constructed to screen a largearea. To attain this object, the ribs or vanes have rearwardly bent bight portions 24 midway of their lengths and rods 25- fixed to the-edgesof the electrodes pass through the bights of the vanes to brace them.

'Fig. 8 shows a method of fastening the edges of electrodes, together when it"is necesvsary to' construct a screen of two or more electrode units. The edge 4 of one section 26 of the. electrode would be grooved, .-while the edge 4 of the-adjoining section would be'in, the form. ofa tongue and would. fit in the groove 4'. A large number of electrode units orse etions could thus be joined together to form a large electrode for use in a screen.

' Fig. 9 shows electrodes 28 and 29 formed of Wire members 30 and 31, respectively. this form,'one of the ends of the wire members 30 and 31 might be coiled about a vertical wire 32 and soldered or welded or it might merely be secured by clamping action. The other ends of the wire members 30 and 31 could be secured in U-shaped strips of metal lit will of course be understood that the strips 33 and 32 might be used at each end of the electrodes, or elther might be used alone on the same electrode. a

The wires 30 and 31 would be bent to lie in approximately the "same vertical plane and would be sulficiently close to electrocute an insect attempting to. pass between them.

Figs. 10 and 11 show my sheet metal electrodes as applied to an illuminated insect tra Iii this construction, the ribs or vanes 35 of the electrodes 36'and 37 would be positioned one above the other but each vane would be bent at such an angle as to permit as much illumination from the bulb 38 as possible to pass between themwithout being spaced too of the trap is secured thereto. "The corners of the electrode 37 are recessed as at 40, to fit upon the posts 39.

The outer electrode 36 .is also bent into frusto-pyramidal shape and is placed about the posts 39 and its ends-are then secured together by means of the tongue and groove arrangement 42. Each corner 43, of the outer electrode 36 is recessed to fit upon the posts It will be understood that the trap shown inFigs. 10 and 11 is very readily constructed and, in use, the electrodes 36 and 37" would be supp it? from atransformer mounted in thetop o t lied with current of opposite polar he trap. The light circuit which attracts the insects could thus be used in the electrodes. I claim 1-?- 1.-An insect. electrocutor comprising a frame, a*grid-like electrode, a second gridlikeelectrode, thetwo electrodes being secured in said frame and insulated from each ,other, the ribs of each electrode being hori .zontally disposed and bent inwardly toward the fibs of the other elefitrode, each ribbeing bent at an angle to the vertical and having a convex upper surface, and all of the ribsof both electrodes'beingparallel and disposed at the same angle in the same verticahplane.

2. An insect electrocutor comprising a pair of grid-like electrodes insulated from each other, each elettrode having spaced horizontal ribs each of the ribs of the two electrodes having end portions extending downwardly and toward the other electrode, and intermediate portions disposed'at an acute angle to the planes of the marginal portions of the electrodes and curved upwardly throughout its length, the curved intermediate portions of the ribs of both electrodes lying in the same plane.

3. In an insect electrocutor, an open frame, a plurality of metal bars extending across the opening of said frame in spaced parallel .relation and disposed in the same vertical plane, each of said bars being convex on its upper surface throughoutits-length and set at an acute angle to the plane of the-frame and all of said bars being disposed at the same angle to the frame, andvmeans for supplying Iclurrent of opposite polarities to alternate ars.

4:. An insect electrocutor comprising a pair of grid-like electrodes insulated from each other, each of said electrodes having oppositely disposed marginal portions. and a series of spaced parallel ribs connecting said marginal portions, each of the ribs of said electrodes having at' each end an edge portion which, adjacent to the marginalportion to which it is connected, lies in the plane of said marginal portion and extends inwardly toward the opposite marginal portion, and said edge portion, at theinner end of said inwardly extending portion, extending downwardly and toward the other elec-' trode, and intermediate portions connecting the ends of said downwardly extending iportions, said intermediate portions beingdisposed at an acute angle to the planes of said v marginal-portions, the intermediate portions of all ofthe ribs of both electrodes lying in spaced parallel relation'in the same vertical plane, and the spacesbetween adjacent ribs being unobstructed.

WILLIAM M. FROSTQ tied 

